Brief Description Of The Prior Art
In my co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 288,977 entitled "FRONT MOUNTED DETHATCHING APPARATUS", I disclose a dethatching apparatus which is adapted to be mounted ahead of a self-propelled vehicle upon which the operator of the dethatching apparatus can ride, while viewing and controlling the dethatching apparatus. The dethatching apparatus disclosed in my co-pending application includes an elongated rotary drum contained within a suitable drum housing. The drum carries a plurality of axially and circumferentially offset blades which function to remove thatch from lawns by cutting through the thatch and propelling it upwardly in the housing and out through an opening at the upper forward side of the housing. The dethatching drum can be adjusted in its position relative to the ground, and thus the depth of cut can be changed, by a foot operated lever system which can be reached and operated by the operator from his riding position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,856 issued to Ray shows an aerator-type attachment structure for aerating the soil. The aerating plates carried on a drum or shaft are polygonally-shaped, and are staggered circumferentially in axially spaced relation along the shaft.
Soteropulos U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,169 discloses a field forage harvester where a drum with blades carried thereon is caused to rotate rapidly, and the severed crop is then forced upwardly and outwardly through an opening or discharge stack in the top of the housing.
Warner U.S. Pat. No. 2,722,795 discloses a racking attachment which is mounted ahead of a riding lawn mower and is designed to cut the roots of undesirable grasses growing in a lawn, and to give the other grasses increased aeration to greatly improve the growth of the desirable ornamental grasses. The shaft which carries these blades is connected to a prime mover on the large, wheel-supported chassis.